Mamelodi Sundowns and Marumo Gallants were drawn in the quarterfinals of the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup respectively, as they will be representing the country in the continental tournaments. The Chloorkop-based side will visit CR Belouizdad on April 22, while "Bahlabane Ba Ntwa" will be off to Egypt for a date with Pyramids FC the next day, for the first leg encounters, before playing the second leg at home the following week. To have these two teams continuing to fly our flag with pride is something we should never take for granted but rather celebrate and embrace. This will go a long way in re-establishing our league as one of the best as well as improving our national team because the experience these two teams gain from these games is immeasurable. I really wish both teams everything of the best and hope they make it all the way to the final and bring the respective trophies home. How sweet that would be for our football!
Doc answers your questions…
Please don't forget to send your questions to editor@soccerladuma. co.za for now, until further notice.
Sisonke Nqutu says I don't seem to change at all and I seem to be growing younger, as I look the same except for the haircut.
Well, thank you so much for the compliment, Sisonke. To be honest, I'm not really sure what is it that I've done, but I guess it is the simple things that one has to do, looking after themselves.
Themba Soko wants to know what it is that I like about Augusto Palacios so much that I always speak glowingly about him.
Well, what I like about Augusto is the love that he showed to me and my teammates, as our coach. Wherever he goes, he remains a father-figure who treats people with love and respect. I'm not the only one who speaks highly of that man, I can promise you that much. Every player who worked with Augusto will tell you the same thing about the kind of a human being he is. The love he and his family showed to me and my family is out of this world. He took care of me and taught me a lot of things and remains like a father to me. No one can come between me and that man and I will always cherish him.
Sipho Nkohla says he enjoys my television work and wants to know how am I finding it.
I think it is fine and just one of those jobs that frustrate you, at times, because you put yourself in the players' shoes and want to do things for them, forgetting that you're not part of it and your job is just to talk about football. Now you end up with a fight between your head and heart because you want to see things done your way. It is easy for me, but the players make it look difficult and I have to remain professional and balanced about it.
Being Doc
It is so interesting to see the amount of love and appreciation I continue to enjoy in the country, but receiving love and appreciation outside our borders is always something different. I was in Lesotho recently, where we played their legends, and it was unbelievable to see how much people there appreciated me. It was overwhelming and the Basotho almost brought tears to my eyes. I was so humbled. Thank you so much, guys!
Coaches I've worked with: The man is a trailblazer…
I know this will not sound of feel right for some people, but football is a universal language. There's this particular individual whom I have been waiting for the right moment and time to shower with praises on this platform, for a while now. You know, I consider myself one of the luckiest people to have shared a space with this man. Growing up in Soweto, I got an opportunity to watch this guy grow in leaps and bounds and even admired him as he was a senior to me. You must be wondering who am I talking about and I apologise for keeping you guessing. The man I am talking about is Pitso Mosimane. Believe it or not, Soweto was blessed with a lot of talent and I don't regard myself as one of the best to ever come out of that township because there are hundreds of more talented players from Soweto that somehow didn't go far in their football careers. Those who grew up in the townships will tell you about the talent our kasi produced. Pitso is a product of Soweto and to have watched him play school football, I used to see him being picked up after school by a branded Jomo Cosmos bus to training together with the likes of Johnny "Black Sunday" Masegela and on the other side you had the likes of Wellington Manyathi and "Chippa" Molatedi also fetched to their training and I would seriously admire these guys. We appreciated them so much and wanted to be like them one day. When we looked at Jomo Sono at his KFC franchise in Dube, we couldn't stop marvelling at him. I watched Pitso grow at Cosmos and even at Mamelodi Sundowns.
I went on to share a change room with him in the national team. We had a star-studded team, coached by Augusto Palacios, with the likes of Harold "Jazzy Queen" Legodi, Tebogo Moloi, Augustine Makalakalane, Benjamin Reed, among others. Pitso was already plying his trade in Greece at the time. We went on to do the SAFA coaching licences together after our retirement and looking at his growth since then, one has to give him a pat on the back. It is really unbelievable and I'm so proud to have been a teammate and a friend. He is someone I can always pick up a phone to speak to about anything. He hasn't had it easy at all, but the big heart and passion that he has wouldn't allow him to succumb to the hardships and turbulences he encountered along the way. His journey was disrupted by some people who didn't want to see him succeed, but he persevered. I'm not attacking anyone because these are obstacles that we all face from time to time. When you look at his coaching journey from SuperSport United, the national team, Sundowns, Al Ahly and now Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, the most pleasing thing about his coaching journey was the step he took to coach one of the biggest and toughest teams to manage, Ahly, when very few would even consider the move. His track record at the Egyptian giants speaks volumes.
The man has a strong character and the strong support he's getting from his wife, the kids and everyone in the family rallying behind him can only make him even stronger. This is what has probably driven him to be what and who he is today because, without their support, he wouldn't manage. Remember, family is all you have when all else fails, so they are very important in everything you do. The man is a trailblazer of note and he always pushes the envelope. He is a man of big moves and I sometimes wonder why is he so brave? He almost always leaves his comfort zone to push himself and that's not easy for anyone to do. Look at the players he has coached and groomed, speak to them about the man and you get an idea of the great manager that he is. Pitso is a visionary because he doesn't just focus on what is happening now but the future. Not many would have agreed to go and coach in Saudi, but not Jingles. Ask anyone who's ever played in that part of the world and they will tell you about the challenges faced there, but Pitso was brave enough to look beyond everything, just to realise his dream. I've been there and played in the continental football games, it is a difficult place to be in as a foreigner because of their culture. There are certain things that we do here that are not done in that country, but that didn't stop Pitso from taking that coaching job. That's how we grow and I want to salute Pitso because he continues to put our country's flag on the map. I wish him everything of the best going forward because everything he is doing that side, he is representing all of us.
Doc's memory bank: I was so touched by that video
There was a time when Pitso was still in Egypt, when he was travelling with Ahly, but I can't remember where they were going to play, and he sent me a video that blew my mind. He was approached by this football fan at the airport and he wanted to take a picture with him and engage in conversation. Pitso agreed and the guy asked him, "I know you're from South African, but where is Doctor Khumalo?" So, Pitso told him I was home and the supporter asked him to please send me his regards. Coach Pitso filmed the whole interaction and sent it to me with a message along the lines of: "Doc, look what you've done in our continent!" I was so touched by that video and it really left me emotional and humbled. I'm very proud to say I have a great friend and brother in Jingles. He continues to prove that we have all the quality we need, it is just a matter of us getting given a chance to prove ourselves. It is about time to believe in our own and do the right thing. I want Pitso to know that he's set the standard really high.
Doc's Friend Zone
Three weeks ago, I was with David Modise in Free State, where we spent some time together. The joy I had when we got to reminisce about the good old days, as we watched a soccer tournament and even played against each other as the Free State Legends hosted us from Gauteng. This is a man I always admired from the time he was still at Bloemfontein Celtic and he's one of those I feel have not been celebrated enough. This guy was just unbelievable! One of the best midfielders ever! His acceleration was second to none and his game was all about combinational play. When he joined Kaizer Chiefs, I was over the moon because I knew the club had signed a top-quality player who was going to add a lot of value. What a humble gentleman! These are the kinds of people that I wish our government and SAFA can utilise to guide the current and upcoming players because these are the good examples of stories that need to be told about South African football. You'd never find David playing a long ball like Ernest Mtawali, the late Shakes Kungwane or Hlompho Kekana, never. David was always a tiki-taka kind of a player and that was exactly how he played in the Legends' game. I really appreciate the friendship and brotherhood that we've shared over the years and so it will continue. This guy always has time for everyone and his friendship is really appreciated. I wish him all the best for the future.
